Traditional Methods
The traditional method for grinding a bevel on edge tools uses a mechanical grinder. This is the method typically described in historical woodworking books that explain the the methods of craftsman making furniture and joinery for a living.
Here are some extracts from the literature published in the 18th, 19th and 20th century...
Traditional Methods
The traditional method for grinding a bevel on edge tools uses a mechanical grinder. This is the method...
Sharpening! A quick trawl of the internet reveals a bewildering array of opinions on this topic, and if you look a bit further afield you will find entire books covering the same. But don't be deterred: the basics can be understood and learned with a relatively modest investment in time and do not...
Sharpening! A quick trawl of the internet reveals a bewildering array of opinions on this topic, and if you look...
If you buy a new plane from Lie Neilsen, Veritas or some other high-end maker then you can rest assured it has been manufactured to very high tolerances and therefore won’t need any work (and if it isn’t you can always return it and ask for a replacement). However, in the event you...
If you buy a new plane from Lie Neilsen, Veritas or some other high-end maker then you can rest assured...
Given the main purpose of bench planes is to smooth and flatten wood it is unsurprising that the sole of the plane should be flat, but views differ on exactly how flat it needs to make them work optimally.
Flatness standards
To understand why flatness is important we can consider the mechanics of the plane:...
Given the main purpose of bench planes is to smooth and flatten wood it is unsurprising that the sole of...
The cap iron is the part of a bench plane that is held on top of the cutting iron with a shallow bolt. These two parts are then secured to the frog by pressure from the lever cap.
In old books, planes with this arrangement are often referred to as double irons for reasons that...
The cap iron is the part of a bench plane that is held on top of the cutting iron with...
Here is what I learned about setting up and sharpening bench planes.
If you participate in any woodworking internet forums at some point you will stumble upon a debate about the best way set them up and sharpen the blade for use.
Sadly these debates are often marred by ill humour and repetitive argument.
Unsurprisingly...
Here is what I learned about setting up and sharpening bench planes.
If you participate in any woodworking internet forums...
This post describes how to refurbish a bench plane.
To show what can be done with even the most unpromising looking specimen, here is the worst example I purchased:
…it was made at some point between WWII and the mid-1950s and, as you can see from the photo of it dismantled, it has been painted...
This post describes how to refurbish a bench plane.
To show what can be done with even the most unpromising...
As we already found out there are no very old Record bench planes – production started in 1931 – and there are lots of them about, so ebay descriptions of “antique” Record bench planes are something of a misnomer. While the older models might reasonably be referred to as vintage, in the sense of something from the...
As we already found out there are no very old Record bench planes – production started in 1931 – and there are...
Old Record bench planes show up on ebay on an almost daily basis and are frequently described by optimistic sellers as “Vintage”, but how old are they really?
To answer the question I have looked at the circumstances that prompted Record to start producing hand planes and in a subsequent post I will look at...
Old Record bench planes show up on ebay on an almost daily basis and are frequently described by optimistic sellers...
As I mentioned earlier, my foray into buying used bench planes on ebay is inspired by Paul Sellars, a British woodworker who talks eloquently about the value still to be found in old hand-planes and other tools. He puts his money where his mouth is too, by routinely using an old Stanley 04 he bought...
As I mentioned earlier, my foray into buying used bench planes on ebay is inspired by Paul Sellars, a British...